Thunderbirds 1965 Project To Create Classic Thunderbirds EpisodesBookmark and Share

Tuesday, 14 July 2015 - Reported by Marcus
This September marks 50 years since Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s ground-breaking Thunderbirds series blasted onto TV screens in the UK. To celebrate this special anniversary, the iconic puppets will be making a spectacular return in three brand new episodes in Thunderbirds 1965, a project created by director Stephen La Rivière.

In addition to the much-loved television series, three Thunderbirds audio episodes were recorded and launched in 1966, with music and dialogue from the show’s original voice cast. Thunderbirds 1965 will see La Rivière film the Thunderbirds puppets and sets he faithfully recreated for the Filmed in Supermarionation documentary, using all of the classic Supermarionation techniques, and combine this with the original audio footage to create three brand new video episodes in the distinctive Thunderbirds style.

The Thunderbirds 1965 project will launch on crowdfunding website Kickstarter on Thursday 9th July at 9am, and backing the project is the only way that fans from around the globe will be able to watch these new episodes. In addition to a DVD / Blu-ray of the finished production, project backers have the opportunity to receive other exclusive rewards including a commemorative photo-book featuring rare and previously unpublished stills from the original series and an exclusive ‘Thunderbirds Experience’. This experience will give backers the chance to visit the Thunderbirds 1965 production studio and experience first-hand the classic model and puppet filmmaking techniques first developed fifty years ago. The recreated marionette stars will also be around for meet and greets.

The Thunderbirds 1965 Kickstarter campaign is aiming to raise £75,000 to fund the first of the three special episodes. If the project surpasses this initial target, the remaining episodes will be also produced.



Thunderbirds 1965 will be produced by the team behind the critically acclaimed Filmed in Supermarionation documentary, which tells the story of the pioneering production of Thunderbirds, Stingray, Captain Scarlet and other memorable marionette television shows. Sylvia Anderson and the estate of the late Gerry Anderson have welcomed the initiative.

Sylvia Anderson, co-creator of the classic series says:
Recreating the 1960s version of Thunderbirds like this is a great idea. What better way to celebrate half a century? I know that Stephen and his team will produce an episode that will look like something we would have made. FAB!
Jamie Anderson, son of Gerry Anderson says:
Generations of kids and adults have enjoyed Thunderbirds since it first aired 50 years ago. The magic formula of models, practical effects and puppets is very special, and I’m absolutely certain that Stephen and his team will recreate that magic.
Stephen La Rivière says:
For Filmed In Supermarionation, we shot new sequences with the puppets using the old fashioned techniques. Whilst many of the methods used seem a little archaic and time-consuming by today's standards, we thought that it would be very special to do a one-off project bringing Thunderbirds back to life 1960s style. Sadly, many of the original voice cast have passed away since 1965. However, thanks to these original audio recordings, we have new, authentic stories that have never been adapted for screen. This means that these old-new episodes should be the most authentic recreation of the 1960s experience as it's possible to get.
Further information can be found at thunderbirds1965.co.uk.




FILTER: - Thunderbirds

Preview image of new Thunderbird 1 releasedBookmark and Share

Sunday, 22 June 2014 - Reported by John Bowman
A preview image of the new Thunderbird 1 from the forthcoming series Thunderbirds Are Go! has been released by ITV Studios.

The major new children's series, which is a co-production between ITV Studios and Pukeko Pictures in association with Weta Workshop, is set to make its international debut early next year in the UK on ITV and CITV.

Set against the backdrop of the Hollywood sign, the rocket maintains its distinctive silver bullet style from the original show, which first aired on ITV from 1965 to 1966.

The reboot, comprising 26 half-hour episodes, will be produced using a mix of CGI animation and live-action model sets to deliver a new level of action-adventure animation while also paying tribute to the classic 1960s phenomenon.

As previously reported, the reinvention of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's iconic series will star Rosamund Pike as the voice of Lady Penelope and original cast member David Graham, who reprises his role as Parker.

Other star voices will include Kayvan Novak as inventor Brains and Thomas Brodie-Sangster voicing John Tracy.

Executive producer Giles Ridge said:
Thunderbirds Are Go! pays tribute to the original series whilst delivering a dynamic action-adventure to thrill a new generation. The iconic characters, craft, music and story elements of the original have been lovingly reimagined for a 21st-century audience. The series will showcase the world-famous Pukeko Pictures and Weta Workshop's ground-breaking creative and technical excellence.






FILTER: - ITV - Thunderbirds Are Go! - CITV

In The Flesh series 2 start date and time confirmedBookmark and Share

Wednesday, 23 April 2014 - Reported by John Bowman
The second series of In The Flesh is to start on Sunday 4th May at 10pm, the BBC confirmed today.

Starring Luke Newberry as Kieren Walker and Emily Bevan as Amy Dyer, with Kenneth Cranham as Vicar Oddie, it will comprise six one-hour episodes. Also returning are Kevin Sutton as ex-vigilante Human Volunteer Force soldier Gary Kendal and Harriet Cains as Kieren's sister Jen. Joining the cast for the new series of the zombie drama are Wunmi Mosaku as Maxine Martin, the pro-living Victus MP for Roarton, and Emmett J Scanlan, who plays the Undead Prophet disciple Simon Monroe.
We're reunited with Kieren Walker in the now seemingly PDS-friendly world of Roarton. Our hero is keeping his head down, working soul-destroying shifts in the Legion pub and squirrelling money into his "escape fund." Only problem is, he can't escape himself.

In the wider world, tensions are reigniting. The radical Pro-Living Party, Victus, is gaining government seats, prompting a backlash of PDS extremism connected to the Undead Liberation Army. Kieren is worried sick when Victus MP Maxine Martin enters the village, ostensibly offering her condolences in the wake of a brutal ULA tram attack. She can barely conceal her disappointment at what she sees in the Legion: PDS Sufferers and the Living happily rubbing shoulders. Not to mention Kieren himself behind the bar. She recoils in disgust from his cold touch. When Maxine violently clashes with Vicar Oddie, it seems Kieren was right to worry . . . Danger from the outside world is encroaching.

Kieren's overjoyed by the return of his BDFF (best dead friend forever), the irrepressible Amy Dyer - but his delight is cut short by a tense encounter with Amy's opinionated "beau", ULA member Simon. Kieren warns them both not to rock the boat in Roarton. However, they have other plans in mind, choosing to enter the Legion barefaced and wearing the clothes they were buried in. When they reveal the prejudice and hatred still bubbling under the surface in Roarton - not least from Gary Kendal - Kieren knows he needs to leave the village. Now.

A trailer for series 2 is available to watch below:


and a teaser has also been released:





FILTER: - In The Flesh

In The Flesh nominated for BAFTAs as series 2 details announcedBookmark and Share

Monday, 7 April 2014 - Reported by John Bowman
The BBC Three zombie drama In The Flesh was nominated for two TV BAFTAs today, including Leading Actor for first-time nominee Luke Newberry as Partially Deceased Syndrome sufferer Kieren Walker.

He faces opposition from Dominic West (Burton and Taylor), Sean Harris (Southcliffe) and Jamie Dornan (The Fall).

The show has also been nominated in the Mini-Series category, with Southcliffe, The Great Train Robbery and The Fall also vying for the gong, and follows creator Dominic Mitchell's nomination for a BAFTA Television Craft Award for Best Writer, which he will be hoping to win against Chris Chibnall (Broadchurch), Sally Wainwright (Last Tango In Halifax) and Dennis Kelly (Utopia).

The BAFTA Television Crafts awards ceremony takes place on Sunday 27th April and the TV BAFTAs will be held on Sunday 18th May.

Series two of In The Flesh, comprising six episodes, is to be shown on BBC Three in the first week of May, the BBC said today. The first series will be repeated on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer on Sunday 12th April.

Critically-acclaimed creator Dominic Mitchell reignites the world of teenager Kieren Walker, a PDS (Partially Deceased Syndrome) sufferer who continues in his struggle to find acceptance in the second series of the award-nominated BBC Three drama In The Flesh.

Over six episodes, In The Flesh propels us back to the hotbed of Roarton nine months on, where the living and the undead have reached a fragile peace. Partially Deceased Syndrome sufferer, Kieren (Luke Newberry) is still struggling to find self-acceptance, and is keeping his head down, squirrelling money into his "escape fund" for Paris. Only problem is, he can't escape himself.

In the wider world, fear is in the air, provoked by radical Pro-Living Party Victus and extremism linked to the Undead Liberation Army. Scarier still, there are whispers about a Second Rising.

When explosive characters from both Victus and the ULA descend on Roarton, Kieren's dreams of escape are thrown into disarray. Victus MP Maxine Martin (Wunmi Mosaku) is stirring up anti-PDS sentiment in the village, while charismatic ULA disciple Simon (Emmett J Scanlan) wants Kieren to stay for different reasons altogether.

As Kieren increasingly finds himself in Maxine and Simon's crossfire, tensions reignite within the Walker family, where schoolgirl Jem (Harriet Cains) is facing her own demons, struggling to come to terms with vivid flashbacks from her time in the HVF (Human Volunteer Force). Kieren's only saving grace is the return of his old hunting partner Amy Dyer (Emily Bevan), but has his happy-go-lucky BDFF (Best Dead Friend Forever) been radicalised by the ULA?

As the series progresses, we follow Kieren, his friends and family, as he wrestles with his identity and his own and other people's beliefs. One thing's for certain: a quiet life is no longer an option.

Video interviews with Newberry and Mitchell to promote series 2 were released by the BBC today:






The BAFTA nominations echo plaudits from other parts of the industry - the series was also shortlisted for the MIND Media Awards 2013, Best Drama Serial at RTS, Best Drama Serial at Broadcast Awards and Innovation in Multiplatform at RTS North West - while Mitchell was named one of the 17 BAFTA Breakthrough Brits last year.

BBC Three controller Zai Bennett said:
Not only is BBC Three the most-watched digital channel in the hours it's on air, we're also the most BAFTA-nominated digital channel this year with six nominations, two of which are for the extraordinary In The Flesh which returns to BBC Three next month. I couldn't be prouder of the team, the producers, storytellers, actors and presenters who make BBC Three the ground-breaking, award-winning, incredible channel it is.




FILTER: - In The Flesh - Awards/Nominations

BBC Radio to celebrate Hitchhiker's Guide To The GalaxyBookmark and Share

Friday, 7 March 2014 - Reported by John Bowman
BBC Radio 4 Extra is bringing listeners the brand-new 30th anniversary edition of the Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy Game online and broadcasting the first two series from tomorrow - 36 years to the day since the first radio broadcast of Hitchhiker's and 30 years since the invention of the award-winning game.

Hitchhiker's started life as a BBC Radio 4 series in March 1978. The original scripts by the late Douglas Adams spawned novels, a feature film, at least three stage shows, a TV series and a collection of comic books - as well as various towels.

The game was devised in 1984 by Adams and Steve Meretzky from Infocom. Notoriously difficult and full of oddities, it was one of the best-selling games of its era.

The 20th-anniversary edition of the game launched on Radio 4's website in 2004, and more than three million moves were made in the game in its first three days of launch and more than 50 million moves had been played within six months. It went on to win a BAFTA for Best Online Entertainment.

The 30th-anniversary specially-updated version of the game will allow users to share their achievements with friends over social media via the official Twitter feed @h2g2game.

The game will now be in high definition, thanks to refreshed illustrations and graphics. It is web-based and will be accessible via Radio 4 Extra's website. Players will also be able to take the game on the move, as it will be compatible with tablets and other internet enabled devices.

Radio 4 Extra will also be broadcasting series one and two of The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy. It has been more than 10 years since these programmes were last heard on BBC Radio and they perfectly accompany the game. Actions within the game follow the plot of the radio series and some puzzles are only solvable by players with knowledge of the programmes and story.

The single-player game starts with lead character Arthur Dent working his way through a series of different challenges and zones. Players use a specially-designed keyboard to enter their commands and there are achievements to be won throughout the game by completing a series of tasks. This interactive work of fiction sees players visiting other planets, meeting aliens and robots, and creating (or losing) the plot, based on their decisions and choices as they progress through the game. It is renowned for its difficulty and it never misses a chance to kill players off in hilarious and infuriating ways.

Caroline Raphael, commissioning editor for Radio 4 Extra, said:
Douglas was a true visionary and in his own glorious way foresaw all the technology we now take for granted. Radio 4 Extra is delighted to host this game alongside the first two series. Hitchhiker's fans will be rewarded for their loyalty over the years and newer fans have a real, but fiendish, treat in store. March 8th is a special day for the galaxy, so help us celebrate it in the unique way that only BBC Radio 4 Extra can.
The first episode of the first series will be broadcast at 6pm, with further episodes following weekly in the same slot on Saturdays.

And later this month, the original Hitchhiker's cast will continue to shake up the Radio 4 schedule when they reunite for a special performance, broadcast live from the BBC Radio Theatre in Broadcasting House. Led by Simon Jones as Arthur Dent, they will be bringing to life the characters created for them by Adams in highlights from the entire Hitchhiker's saga. The actors will be joined on stage by a Special Guest Voice Of The Book - Adams's long-time collaborator and sometime flatmate John Lloyd, who co-wrote the fifth and sixth episodes of the first series and was associate producer of the TV version.

It takes place on Saturday 29th March at 10am as part of the Character Invasion event that will see some of the nation's best-loved characters invade Radio 4 and take over the airwaves. Tickets for the show can be applied for via this link. Please note that they will be allocated via a random draw. People can register for up to four tickets per household at any time until Thursday 13th March at 4pm. Other broadcasts that same day can also be applied for, but should you be successful in the draw you will only receive tickets for one session. It should also be noted that allocation of the free tickets does not guarantee entry.




FILTER: - BBC - Radio - Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy - Special Events

Jonathan Creek series 5 trailer releasedBookmark and Share

Tuesday, 18 February 2014 - Reported by John Bowman
The BBC has released a trailer for the new series of Jonathan Creek.

The 30-second promo sees Creek - having relinquished his windmill home now that he's married - scathingly comparing the new community in which he lives to Twin Peaks.


As previously reported, series 5 starts on BBC One on Friday 28th February at 9pm with The Letters of Septimus Noone. A clip from the episode has been made available on the Radio Times website, in which the BBC One series Sherlock is parodied.

The second episode of the three-episode run is entitled The Sinner and the Sandman. Its broadcast date and time are yet to be confirmed.
In The Sinner and the Sandman, a retired local psychic inadvertently makes the most amazing and impossible prediction of his career.

As Creek and Polly strive to settle into rural life, they find their apparently serene country village is riddled with all manner of strange and disturbing undercurrents . . .

Trouble is already brewing in the nearby community centre - recently reopened after a major facelift - where a sordid sex scandal is about to break, casting a pall of gloom over the celebrations.

And at the vicarage, the arrival of a new baby is overshadowed by tales of a "weird hump-backed beast" that has been seen prowling in the garden by night and foraging through the rubbish bags for foodstuffs.

Even the Creek residence is struck by misfortune, as the prospect of a plague of deadly Japanese knotweed threatens to trigger widescale panic throughout the village. And after a whole slew of other unfortunate events, there are fears that some strange parochial apocalypse is about to dawn.

Jonathan Creek, meanwhile, finds himself paying a charitable call on the eccentric Mr Eric Ipswich - aka "The Amazing Astrodamus" - an ancient and reclusive former psychic magician who will shortly bring the village to a standstill by pulling off the most baffling act of clairvoyance in history.

And what is behind the macabre recurring dream that continues to haunt Creek's wife Polly, in which the kindly children's nursery character The Sandman is transformed into a dark and chilling figure of evil?
Creek is played by Alan Davies, and Polly by Sarah Alexander.




FILTER: - Jonathan Creek